The development of the Internet of Things has made life much easier in the past decades. At the same time, human beings are also becoming much more dependent on their electronic devices. With for example mobile phones, we stay in contact with each other followed by the almost extinction of the regular post card. These developments have also resulted in negative externalities during the past couple of years, whereas new types of criminality have emerged. In this blog, the danger of Spoofing will be explained together with its effect on the Netherlands, ending with helpful recommendations.
Spoofing means that a criminal is taking on a different, trusted identity to mislead another person into sharing personal data. There are different types of Spoofing. For example, through emails, websites or calls (KPN, 2021). Spoofing is also becoming more common on WhatsApp. Criminals use the friend-in-need tactic in which they say that they are a family member who’s phone has been stolen. This type of scam is dangerous because it preys the kindness of people. Therefore, people should always have a second thought when answering a text of an unknown phone number. Especially when it starts with “Hello mum/dad” or “Hello brother/sister” (Triodos Bank, 2022).
Over the whole year of 2021 in the Netherlands, the damage of this type of criminality was 11% of the total amount of financial criminal damage. In monetary numbers, this comes down to €261 million. As warned above, the most dangerous type of Spoofing turned out to be the friend-in-need tactic. Over 26.000 people became a victim of this type of crime. Until today, 121 million has been paid back to the victims (CBS, 2022).
Tackling the Spoofing problem is difficult. However, there are some things you could do to decrease the chance that you will become a victim. First of all, never click a link in an email without checking the link underneath. This can be done by holding your mouse above the link. Furthermore, check for grammar mistakes in the message which could have been the result of international criminals using Google Translate. Lastly, if you get a call from an unknown number who says that he works for the bank, always verify the identity beforehand. For example, tell the other person that you will be calling back later (KPN, 2021). In the meantime you can check the phone number and name. In addition to that, there are a lot of other recommendations to prevent becoming a victim of Spoofing which can be read on the internet.
To conclude, criminals will always seek to find new opportunities to earn money at the expense of innocent people. Spoofing is a type of criminality that should definitely not be underestimated in a world in which we are dependent on the internet. Therefore, people should be alert at all times to prevent being scammed.
References
Beleef KPN. (2021, August 31). Spoofing: de betekenis, hoe werkt het en hoe kun je het voorkomen. Retrieved 26 September 2022, from https://www.kpn.com/beleef/blog/spoofing.htm
CBS. (2022, September 22). 2,5 miljard euro schade door criminaliteit tegen burgers. Retrieved 26 September, from https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2022/38/2-5-miljard-euro-schade-door-criminaliteit-tegen-burgers
Triodos Bank. (2022, September 20). ‘Friend in need’ scam – what to watch out for and how to be fraud aware. Retrieved 26 September 2022, from https://www.triodos.co.uk/articles/2022/friend-in-need-scam-how-to-be-fraud-aware#:~:text=The%20%27friend%20in%20need%27%20scam%20(also%20known%20as%20%27,help%20their%20friends%20and%20family
A very relevant topic in this era! I like the detailed explanation of how it occurs and its monetary impact. As spoofing is a growing problem, I am curious about your opinion on how we can create more awareness of this problem and provide accurate information on how to prevent spoofing in the future. I acknowledge that the tips and tricks you mentioned are very insightful. Although, I feel like the information that is available regarding prevention is not always reaching the right parties, for example, the older generation that is more sensitive to spoofing. Furthermore, I wonder if any legal actions are being established for these new types of criminals, as the monetary impact of spoofing will keep increasing.
Thank you Marnix for your contribution! I think it’s very important that people know more about Spoofing, and even think that the local government should think of initiatives to promote this problem more. I like that you explained several ways to avoid Spoofing, perhaps I should send this to my grandparents. Unfortunately, elderly people become a victim of these crimes because they often have less knowledge of the dangers of IT. Can you think of ways to help the elderly, and how to educate them on Spoofing? Looking forward to your insights!